


i won't stop looking for you

by lonzha572



Category: Food Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Also i hate someone irl named Daniel. Plz dont take offense to this if your name is daniel, Also the attendant's name is daniel bc daniel seems like a douchey name, Alternate Universe, Angst, F/F, Pretend M souls are common, Slow Updates, Youre all valid except that one daniel i know irl., dark fic ig, lore fans will cringe hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2019-08-05 17:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16371662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonzha572/pseuds/lonzha572
Summary: black tea and milk meet again after centuries. this time, black tea won't let milk down.---this isnt a joke anymore. lets go tea lesbians!! alternate lore universe, notes have explanations





	1. a beam of moonlight in my dull and dark sky

**Author's Note:**

> written by @osechiryori on tumblr  
> \---  
> This AU has multiple versions of each food soul, but it is NOT multiple copies theory. Each food soul has their own memories and feelings independent of each other. They all also have different appearances and personalities within each "species", and each is a variant of the base food. For example, wafer gingerbread or goose liver foie gras. Food souls are technically immortal but can be killed, and if they are contracted they will be directly reincarnated. If not, they will be converted into shards. When shards are used for fusing a new food soul, or ascending, the souls used to create those shards will be heard in the new/ascended soul's inner thoughts until they pass on to limbo, where contracted souls go immediately. This is a sort of in-between space between one life and the next, and soon the souls in it will be reincarnated. They keep their identities, but their memories are often lost and take time to reform. Finally, almost every character will be different from their canon selves. Their personalities will probably be the same, but their relationships and past will change a lot. Various game mechanics will also be taken literally, and a lot of other stuff. Ask @osechiryori or @gay4malk on Tumblr if you're confused on something, or send an ask.

Black Tea had long discarded the idea that the Milk her Master Attendant Daniel had summoned was the Milk she’d known from Cafe Satan. It was foolish to hope for some stroke of amnesia in the other soul that would stop her from recognizing her. Clearly, it was never meant to be.  
There was a “banner” of some sort set up by the Academy, something that necessitated endless summoning, though of course what purpose it served was unknown to her. But she knew something about it in that all of Master Attendant’s Food Souls had to crowd around the summoning pool, either to kill duplicates or be impressed with lucky summons. Today was one of those days where he was especially fanatic about summoning new, rare souls. Black Tea caught Jiuniang’s gaze for just a second before their eyes flickered away. Jiuniang was, despite being ranked R by the Academy, very lucky in a way. She’d have been killed with all the other R souls, excluding Milk, Miso Soup, and Tom Yum, if not for Gingerbread. She’d stood up to Master Attendant and said that she’d use her own life to protect Jiuniang. But Gingerbread was rarely around the restaurant where Jiuniang spent a lot of time since she was always out fighting fallens, so it was common that Master Attendant got upset with Jiuniang.  
“Isn’t it such a waste to keep you around?” he’d lashed out at her one day, ranting about how he’d already fused all the useless Rs and SRs, and how Gingerbread was the only thing standing in the way of a few more SR shards.  
Black Tea had kept to the side, because if an UR card like Gingerbread wanted to incur such a powerful Attendant’s wrath over such a trivial soul like Jiuniang it wasn’t her problem, and her mission should be only to serve Master Attendant.  
She was one of the few who sought out Tiramisu’s company on purpose. The healer mostly stayed in her room if she hadn’t been sent out to do something, as she found the constant “conflict” too upsetting. It was probably best for her, since if a human ever heard the things she confided in Black Tea with she’d surely be killed and replaced with a more obedient copy.  
“Black Tea, all this killing and violence. Isn’t it the worst? Ah, but if only I could stop all of this. But I’m weak, even if I’m a healer… I’d surely be dead if I challenged anything Master Attendant did. Though, I don’t want to say I’d ‘challenge’ him. That word reeks of conflict, do you think so too?”  
Spending time with an exact duplicate of an old friend is disconcerting for Black Tea. The Tiramisu she’d known was a little different, but though she was mostly the same across all incarnations, it was the little details that made each one stand out.  
It was worse with Milk. Whenever Black Tea saw her, she couldn’t help but remember the Milk she’d loved for so long. They’d only been able to spend a few years together, a blink of the eye for food souls. Though she hadn’t seen her Milk in centuries, she tugged at Black Tea’s heartstrings like they’d only parted yesterday. Still, she was searching for Milk across the borders of time and space, and if she had to wait more centuries upon centuries, then so be it. Was there really anything she could have faced, even Aluna, that she would not stare down for her lost love?  
Black Tea was one of the first food souls her Attendant summoned, and try as she might she cannot escape the haunting ways Jiuniang has changed since she was first summoned. When she appeared, she’d said, “H-hello…” in the sweetest voice, not knowing what would happen next. Gradually, Jiuniang had hardened her heart. She could not break free of the timid nature essential to Jiuniangs, but anyone could see that she was different from most of the others. There was a coldness, a detachment that plagued her being. Was Gingerbread only prolonging this process, a process in which death may have been a better option? To avoid thinking of the two, Black Tea hardened her heart too. There was nothing that could be done.  
There are endless Milks in Gloriville, it seems. And yet none of them are right. One Milk is too short, another has hair more blonde than white, yet another Milk holds herself with more pomp and dignity than the quiet, humble one Black Tea loved. It just isn’t the same.  
“One more time,” Master Attendant hisses. “One more summon. Milt and Bonito Rice have got to be somewhere.”  
The pool lights up, the misters and clock shake, the fire burns and Black Tea’s heart simultaneously leaps up and plunges downward as she sees Milk appear. Only… she’s different. She isn’t daintily clutching her dress like most Milks, she’s holding a gun.  
It’s impossible. There’s no way, but in seconds centuries have been bridged. Their lives have connected again, and this time Black Tea won’t let them be separated. B-52 stabs at her with his cane in the way he always does, but Milk dodges expertly, shoots him, and takes off like lightning. Tangyuan darts to B-52’s side, but he wrenches free after a few seconds and runs after the rogue Milk. Black Tea goes after them too.  
Hawthorne Ball and Jello stare in surprise as Milk dashes through the kitchen. B-52 and Black Tea chase after her as she runs through the restaurant and careens off into the streets of Gloriville. B-52 takes off into the air while Black Tea sprints through the tangle of streets.

\--------

 _“So quiet… Black Tea, are you sure we’re on the right path?”_  
“Yes, I’m sure. Let’s hurry; we need to be back by sundown.”  
We walked quickly, but that wasn't enough to get us back to the bakery before an Uke Mochi and Bulimia stopped us in our tracks.  
Ah, this was a relatively weak one, but I still didn't want to take any unnecessary risks.  
“Milk, run! I'll buy you some time,” I called, and she nodded and started running.  
I fired a few shots at the Bulimia, greatly injuring it. I turned to follow Milk, but the Uke Mochi roared and leaped ahead, charging towards Milk.  
With several slams of its fork, Milk disappeared into nothingness.  
I screamed, gasping for air.


	2. reunion is a golden millet dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ponton isn't a typo. That's his name in this AU.  
> Also in this, there is multiple copies theory but with some edits. Like no shared memories/past, also each copy is a different variation of the food (Miso Soup with Fiji Water-- jkjk) so yeah. Ask if you see inconsistentencies or something doesn't make sense. Also I haven't read much on some things like the forgetful courtyard so I made up my own lore. uwu and sometimes even when I do know the lore I ignored it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also we don't care if there even are blossoms in the courtyard, let alone which season peach blossom bloom in.

This time, there was no way Black Tea would let Milk be hurt again.  
She stays close behind her, ducking around the Parisel tourists.  
“Milk! Milk, it's me. Come with me, I know a place where humans won't dare to come after you.”  
There's no sign that she heard Black, and she keeps running into the forest.  
“There's angels out there, you know. Lots of purple-ranked ones are in those forests. Milk, you'd do well to stay safe.”  
Milk turns to look back at Black for just a second, but trips over a tree branch.  
She goes to help her get up, but when she sees her face up close, she's shocked.  
This isn't her Milk at all.  
“Impossible,” she mutters under her breath, too quietly for Milk to hear.  
“Why are you talking about this like you've met me before?”  
This confirms it. How could she have been wrong about this?  
Milk sees the shock in Black's expression, and laughs bitterly.  
“I still haven't found anyone who wanted to see me. How sad.”  
“Milk, I must apologize--”  
“My name is Soy Milk. Please, call me that if you can.”  
Black hadn't met a food soul who went by their unique name in a while. Humans tended to treat them all the same.  
“Then it seems we'll part there, Soy.”  
It would have ended there if Attendant Daniel hadn't burst into the woods.  
“So it was right! You really were a rebel!”  
A rebel against the human rule, someone like that guy Boston Lobster who had caused that incident so long ago.  
Black looks at Soy, surprised. Soy smiles in a way that makes it clear she's a rebel.  
Suddenly, a horrible pain rips through where her heart would be were she not a food soul, and Soy screams, darting through the trees suddenly and pulling Black along with her.  
Black's barely conscious, and Soy sighs heavily when they're a considerable distance into the forest.  
“Soy… why did you take me deeper into the forest?” She coughs and continues. “It would have been easier to hide if we'd gone somewhere obscure in Parisel.”  
“I couldn't have,” Soy says. “The humans would have recognized me.”  
How quickly this day has gone downhill. This morning, the worst thing that could have happened was having to kill duplicate food souls for their shards. Now, her contract had been broken and she was on the run with a known rebel.

Tiramisu stared into the light softly gleaming of her spoon. She touched its surface and whispered, “Show me Black.”  
Slowly, Tiramisu's reflection was replaced by an image of Black with the Milk with the gun. Tiramisu listens closely and hears their conversation:  
“Where is that place you said you could take me?”  
“The forgetful courtyard in Light Kingdom. There's not a human alive who knows of it.”  
“Black, have you been there yourself?”  
“Yes, it's beautiful. The peach blossoms bloom in the spring. This is somewhere very safe, Soy.”  
Now that Black is home, surely very few people will ever come to talk to her. Tiramisu never told anyone about the visions in her spoon. She wasn't supposed to be capable of it, but long ago a Caviar she used to know had told her the secrets.  
“Spoon, show me the forgetful courtyard.”  
Black and Soy's conversation melted away into a serene landscape with a lake and mountains.  
By the lakeside, Sweet and Sour Fish--this one went by West Lake Vinegar Fish, West for short-- was speaking with Cloud Tea.  
“Lushan, isn't it true that a human nearly entered the valley yesterday? Please, I'll go through the rivers and keep an eye out.”  
“The humans will stay away for the most part as long as they believe in the courtyard's curse. Besides, Ponton and Salad watch the humans. There's really been no more activity from them than usual.”  
“Still…” West warned. “If they were to find us, we'd have nowhere to go.”  
That's true, Tiramisu thinks to herself. There are ever less places on Tierra where humans do not intrude.  
She was almost so caught up in thought, she barely noticed when Foie Gras floated into the room. Tiramisu had spoken with her a few times, and found the regal food soul quite intriguing. Of course,there was also that they shared a few controversial opinions on the state of the world.  
Mildly surprised, Tiramisu said “Oh, Foie, is there any reason you've come to see me today?”  
“Cruel fate showed me the truth about what happened to the Milk Black was searching for.”  
Tiramisu nodded. Black had told her the story of that horrible night long ago.  
“In the future fate showed me, I saw that she had come to Roshomon with Soy. The Milk Black had been searching for this whole time had in fact fallen into a Prajna, then been amalgamated into a Tsuchigumo.” Foie Gras shook her head in despair. “Black has always been so used to being able to accomplish all her goals, I fear she'll be destroyed if she heard what happened. Her fate told me that Soy would start falling as well, and that would be why they traveled to Sakurajima, to find a cure.”  
They stood in silence for a while. There was unfortunately nothing either of them could do about it. Fate declared it would be so.


	3. once again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> forgetful courtyard stans i apologize in advance

“It's cold in the mountains, Black. Here, take my jacket.”  
“No, I'll be alright.”  
Soy insisted, though, saying she was from Nevras and used to chilly temperatures. “You're from Gloriville, it's much more moderate there. Really, take it.”  
Seeing that Soy was serious, she begrudgingly accepted it.  
They continued walking in near silence until Soy said, “So, about this forgetful courtyard, who lives there?”  
“It changes from time to time,” Black said. “I haven't been there in about a year, but the last time I visited it was being taken care of by a group of food souls that had been living there for a very long time.   
“Tortoise Jelly was the one I felt I knew the best. He comes off as cold at first, but he's in fact very warm and gentle hearted.   
“There's also a Sweet and Sour Fish who goes by West. She tends to look on the negative side and is very shy, but she has a beautiful singing voice.   
“Pork Wonton, or Ponton has a dumpling spirit that does most of the work for him. He does as he pleases and dislikes getting inconvenienced.   
“Lushan, a Cloud Tea, is beautiful and talented with the flute. She lived in the mountains for a long time until she met West one day and came down to the courtyard.   
“There's also some regulars at the courtyard who have stayed there for many decades. Like Toso, she's loyal to the courtyard but is often away due to rebel activities. A younger food soul named Laba Congee often accompanies her on these trips. There's also the Bao brothers, and Salad, who Ponton and Tortoise brought back to the courtyard a long time ago.”  
Soy nodded and seemed lost in thought. They were deep in the mountains, and had just crossed over into Light Kingdom.

Back in Gloriville, deep in the Catacombs, Foie Gras raised her scepter warily as she, Sweet Tofu, Vodka, B-52, and Moon Cake entered a small tunnel in the side of floor 43 of the catacombs. This tunnel had been covered by debris until recently.   
“It's only floor 43, we should be able to best anything that attacks us. Still, be careful.” B-52 warned.  
They found a large room with a single Inugami resting in the center, surrounded by dozens of Sakura Spirits. A few soul embers had been scattered around haphazardly, and the green fluid of universal mediators created puddles on the ground.   
Moon Cake tip toed up to one of the Sakura Spirits, poking it with her flywheel. “Eh? It's not responding at all!”  
“Certainly they should be reacting to our presence,” Vodka mused. “They can't be dead, because they'd dissipate into their embryo forms.”  
“It seems that something more than we've suspected is at work~” Sweet smiled eerily and picked up one of them. “They're completely stiff, almost like statues~”  
Foie stayed behind, unable to take her eyes off the Inugami in the center of the room.  
 _Ah, my fate was so cruel to me._  
Her eyes flicked around. It couldn't have been…  
 _We are destined to kill our own kind, and be killed in return. What a horrible conclusion to our “immortal” lives._  
 _And yet, Goose Liver Foie Gras, the cycle of our lives does continue for all eternity. I am only waiting for the next stage in my existence._  
Foie didn't know if Inugami could hear her thoughts somehow, but she thought in its direction: _How is it that you know my full name? Ah, your fate has shown me already. You were once Duck Liver Foie Gras, weren't you? I see a fate where perhaps we meet again._  
There was silence from it for a while, then it replied, _I have seen so many fates now. One of them is yours. I keep returning to the same fates while trapped here in this state. Yours, but also Lushan from the forgetful courtyard, and the Tiramisu who has the same Master Attendant._  
Suddenly, Moon Cake's cheerful voice broke the trance Foie had fallen into.  
“Come on, come on~ we've spent enough time here already, let's not postpone our return!”  
With a bitter smile, Foie turned away and followed the others.


	4. the sun hates the moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lore stans hate us! legend of lesbian teas, and some tortilla action. also tiramisu big valid. next chapter is big alternate lore dump.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave comments if you like this, also stan----

“We'll jump,” Black said.

 

Soy eyed the long drop to the ground. There were various entry points to the courtyard and one of them was a jump from a cliff that only a food soul could survive. The walls were slick and incredibly difficult to climb.

 

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Soy said.

 

“It'll be fine, I've made this jump in the past. Just hang on to me and we'll be fine.”

 

Soy holds on to Black tightly as they slowly walked towards the cliff. Wind rushed past Soy, fast and sudden. After a considerable amount of time falling, they landed on grass with a loud thump. Soy was surprised, seeing that she hadn't been damaged even a little.

 

Peach trees surrounded them, their fruit ripe and fresh. Soy reached for a peach from one of the fruit trees, but Ponton hopped out of the tree. “Hey, I'm the peach boss; you can't just take one without asking me.”

 

Soy withdrew her hand, and Black gave a small smile. Ponton's dumpling spirit flew around him and dropped a peach into Soy's palm.

 

“Black, why were you gone for all that time? It was nearly a full year.”

 

“I apologize. When I left the courtyard on the day you last saw me, I was summoned.”

 

“Now you’ve returned, that’s nice.” He turned to Soy. “So who are you?”

 

“My name is Soy Milk.”

 

“Then I'll just call you Silk. Come on, I'll take you two down to the valley.”

 

The three of them picked their way across the cragged yet calm mountains, finally coming to a large lake fed by many rivers at the base of the valley. At a slight distance was the courtyard. The landscape was heavily dotted with trees with pale blossoms.

 

West emerged from the lake smoothly. “So you brought another food soul here? ...It is so beautiful in this time of year, Black, I feel a little better now that you’ve returned. Oh, Ponton, you brought another person, may I ask her name?”

 

“Westie, this is Silk. Bleat--” he was cut short by Black's exasperated glare. “I mean, Black, traveled with her all the way from Gloriville.”

 

The seafood soul laughed quietly. “You've already given her a nickname? Let me guess, are you perhaps… Soy Milk? I have to admit, Lushan actually told me this morning. She saw you and Black traveling.”

 

“She saw us?”

 

“Lushan has the ability to see the past, whether from a very long time ago, or from just recently.”

 

Soy said, “How interesting.” and thought to herself.

 

When Black, Soy, and Ponton entered the courtyard, they found Lushan hovering above them, surrounded by thick white clouds. The music from her flute was as entrancing as ever, and her blue eyes were closed in concentration. She paused for a second to greet them, and went back to her playing.

 

“Tortilla!” Ponton called.

 

“No!” Tortoise Jelly screamed. He was giving the same death glare as Bleat--um, Black. Ponton refuses to stop calling him Tortilla.

 

“You look like a tortilla to me anyways.”

 

“If anything, it's you who looks like a tortilla,” Lushan said.

 

\---

 

“Quickly, quickly, get him inside!” A few cooking attendants from the guild dragged in a nearly-dead man, a hunter who had been attacked by many dangerous angels in the woods. Tiramisu had only come into the room behind the restaurant to see what the commotion was about, but the attendants looked at her expectantly. Of course, her kind had a reputation for bringing people back from the brink of death.

 

She held her spoon in the bright sunlight coming in from the window, and the light shone into the wounds, repairing them. Strands of light seeped through the torn flesh and muscle, winding around bones and healing the damage. The bits of dust in the air seem to move so slowly; everything is pausing, and for a single second, her spoon shows Black and Soy in the courtyard. Vaguely, she hears a bit of a conversation behind her.

 

“I didn't take you to do this. Aren't you always talking about the natural order?”

 

“Sweet, you know there are things I owe and special reasons I've protected her for so long.”

 

“Yes, because calamity always follows you, it's why you're trapped in your promise~”

 

Tiramisu lowers her spoon gracefully as the man begins to stir.

 

“Thank you, Tiramisu,” her Master Attendant tells her. “But follow me, there's something we should talk about.”

 

Quickly, he drags her away, and she caught a glimpse of Gingerbread and Sweet staring at her while Jiuniang stands a little ways off from them. When they went into the hallway, Attendant Daniel said, “I've just recently received an excellent offer from another attendant for you, you'll be leaving tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "gO GO AIRPLANE" --eclair and pineapple bun


	5. grave of the fireflies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ba-banana ba-ba-banana-nana  
> Ba-banana ba-ba-banana-nana  
> Ba-banana ba-ba-banana-nana  
> Ba-banana ba-ba-banana-nana  
> courtyard origin pt 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ba-banana ba-ba-banana-nana  
> Ba-banana ba-ba-banana-nana  
> Ba-banana ba-ba-banana-nana  
> Ba-banana ba-ba-banana-nana

Lushan floated in the clouds above the mountains, her white hair draping around her face as she spoke with West.

“West, the world I saw was miserable, and yet Black must know the truth.”

“Black is a strong and courageous food soul, I'm sure she can handle whatever you saw.”

“And yet I doubt myself. Am I able to tell her this?”

“Whatever this is, just look inside yourself. The right answer will come to you.”

 

Electing not to reply, Lushan lifted her flute and began to play a slow, soft song.

—-

Many human lifetimes ago, there was an isolated courtyard in Light Kingdom where nobles had once lived until a plague struck them. After their deaths, other humans came to the valley, but the plague had interacted with the peach blossoms in the valley and made them deadly poisonous to humans, but it was harmless to food souls. In the days after the plague, though, Laba Congee thought it would have been better if she had died.

_Laba found the priest hunched over scattered herbs, shivering despite the average temperature._

_“It was you… wasn’t it? You created this plague, to draw the nobles back to our gods…”_

_He coughed, and she could see how his lips had turned black. “Yes, it’s true, you already knew… my cure didn’t work, and neither can you heal them.” The priest motioned for her to come closer, and she kneeled next to where he was slumped against the wall. “Laba Congee, the only things I can tell you… is only to… to pray, and to keep the word of the old gods alive.”_

_Two weeks later, Laba was the only one left, and she stood in the center of the courtyard, having lost the strength to do anything but keep out of the room where the corpses had been stacked like wood for a fire and weep bitterly. Dazed, she vaguely remembered the woman she had seen years ago in the lake, when she first came to the courtyard. Like a mirage, suddenly she saw her perfectly in her mind, and she slowly walked outside, heading to the lake._

_The only other one in this valley who was still alive, or so she thought…_

_Humans are really the worst_ , West remembered thinking. Food souls like her were blessed with beautiful singing voices, but humans called them cursed and plotted to capture them for their own purposes only because they were different from other food souls.

Originally, she had carried on believing that there were good humans, just like there were good food souls. But that spring many years ago had convinced her otherwise.

_A beautiful lie, engraved into the peach blossoms…_

_Let me fall asleep…_

She was from Nevras originally, residing in the polar waters off its coast. A serene, quiet life, this was all West wanted. But one day fighting along the coast had caught her attention, and slowly she rose from the water to survey the war scene.

Though she didn’t know any of these people, their deaths filled her heart with sadness. Then by the light of the full moon later at night, she saw a young girl running toward her, surrounded by a haze of fireflies. Behind her was the clop of hooves as horses chased her.

“Please, help me…”

“Then take my hand, and I will lead you away from here.”

 _I pulled her underneath the water_ and took her to one of the warmth-filled caves near the hot springs. Though she shivered, she thanked me profusely.

“Big sister, aren’t you, aren’t you that monster my parents told me about?”

“...I’m not a monster, it’s only what they say about me.”

I learned that her father had been a traitor against Nevras, and his whole family had been killed except for this girl who had escaped.

“I have relatives in Palata near the Gloriville border, but of course it’s too far away,” she said.

“Then don’t feel afraid, I will take care of you.”

I had dreamed of a warmth removed from the icy water where I lived, but never had I imagined it would come simply from protecting a small girl. We began to confide in each other and I told her about the person I hoped to find someday in the future.

“I’ve been searching for who will erase the sad tale in my heart and make me happy again. If I ever even catch a glimpse of them, in this life, in this world, that will be enough.”

“What about me?”

“I don’t think you understand, it’s a different kind of love.”

“Okay, then, but I love you!”

Even though she’d been told I was a beast, she loved me like her own family.

One day when the girl left to fish in the rivers, she came back with a bowl of soup.

“Big sister, I’m worried; if you spend so much time in the cold water won’t you get a cold?”

“Don’t concern yourself, I haven’t gotten sick yet.”

“Still, it’s good soup! Have some.”

As I reached toward the bowl, she whispered, “Big sister… listen closely…”

“What is it? Is something on your mind?”

“Please don’t drink it, it’s poison…”

Then her head exploded into a flurry of red and pink petals, and blood splattered onto me. I screamed and dove away, swimming out into the ocean, and as I did so the last thing I had seen was a group of adult humans with guns and harpoons, but they all fell harmlessly behind me.

Over time, I put the pieces together and concluded that the girl’s adult companions had sent her to capture me.

I mindlessly swam south, my tears melting unnoticed into the sea. Even then when I felt dead, I was still able to feel despair and sorrow, and to wonder why I still wasn’t able to become happy, why my heart’s desire still remained unfulfilled.

It was during this horrible time that I met a food soul who would show me a light.

“If humans won’t give us a wonderful world, then we’ll just have to carve it out with our own hands.”

\---

_Help me, please!  
You, you arrived with those humans long ago, right?  
Yes, please, I need… I need…  
You look exhausted, rest a little while.  
Alright..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ba-banana ba-ba-banana-nana  
> Ba-banana ba-ba-banana-nana  
> Ba-banana ba-ba-banana-nana  
> Ba-banana ba-ba-banana-nana  
> watch out for some dumpling lotion action later. no not like that but have you ever looked at $7585637 face cream and said, "tastey..." -long bao


	6. bad things that were meant to happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> baam  
> thats the sound of me blowing up buddhas thottation  
> hes not even in this but he succs. he doesnt even exist in this hes not real

“Tiramisu, Tiramisu…”

  
Someone had entered her room in the night.

  
Foie looked on edge, more than Tiramisu had ever seen her.

 

“Is something wrong?”

  
“Not unless we make it so.” Foie took Tiramisu's hand and led her through the halls, whispering to her. “Yesterday, I left for the catacombs with some of the others. You may not believe me, but I saw my fate in those floors.”

 

Tiramisu unlocked the front door and the cool air hit them. At this hour, there was almost no one walking around.

  
Foie kept talking. “For me, for you, destiny is inescapable. So I need to go there again. I must see what lies in my fate.”

  
Her vague words only made Tiramisu more worried. “So we're going to the catacombs? But you know it's very dangerous, there's a reason the government mandates a minimum requirement of food souls to enter.”

  
“No matter. We will not be going too far.”

  
Foie had fixated on things she saw as part of her destiny before, but never to this point. Whatever she saw in the catacombs, Tiramisu thought. It must be really important.

  
The guilds had never cleaned the entrance. It was coated with dust and fragments of bone could be seen once they got further in. Tiramisu clung to Foie, she'd never been here before.

  
The lower floors passed without much event. Many of the oil lamps had run out, but these floors were completely exterminated. As they went deeper underground, they encountered a few white-ranked angels that they were able to evade or kill easily.

  
At floor 43, Foie paused, inspecting her surroundings. Tiramisu's spoon amplified the light from Foie's scepter and brightened the gloom a bit. They passed through a long hallway before finding the small entrance to the Inugami's chamber.

  
The duo stayed unwavering as they looked upon the room, staring at the collapsed angel in the center.

  
Duck Liver Foie Gras, I am here.

  
Nothing happened for some time, and the tension only grew. It was as if Inugami and her Sakura Spirits could leap to life at any moment, but the power of her thoughts was much stronger.

  
_Do you two see what has happened?_

  
The mental force behind the question was intense and reverberating like thunder.

  
“What has happened?” Tiramisu asked holding out her spoon.

  
_Your fates and very souls are tied to Lushan of the forgetful courtyard. Do you see what has happened to her, or rather, what will happen to her?_

  
\---

Black and Ponton were playing checkers, obviously Ponton was losing.

  
“Checkers is for little kids,” Tortoise said under his breath.

 

West glared at him “How could you say that? Checkers is a fine art!”

 

“What time is it? I swear, this checkers game has been going on for two hours.” Soy said.

 

Tortoise looked at the clock “It's eight, oh no it's eight! Dinner was supposed to be an hour ago!”

 

“Then shouldn't Lushan be back by now? She went out to maintain our shield, but that was quite a while ago.” West glanced at the clock to make sure.

 

Soy shrugged. “Well, the boundary is a fair distance from here.”

 

Ponton looked up from the checkers game for the first time in two hours. “Lotion can fly. Besides, if she were staying late, she would normally have sent her clouds with a message.”

 

“And that message is ‘thot’!” West said.

 

He looked very betrayed.

 

As an UR-ranked food soul without a contract, Lushan had always been in danger from food soul hunters. When she approached the edges of the valley to keep up the aura that stopped them all from being summoned, she ran a big risk. She'd never been attacked by humans before doing this, but suddenly the possibility loomed large in their minds.

\---

“Can't sleep, either?”

Gingerbread looked at Sweet as they both stood in the middle of the empty restaurant. “I can't believe natural selection hasn't killed you yet.”

He was so betrayed. “Natural selection would never kill me.”

“That's what you think. I am natural selection.” She pointed her sword at him.

Before she could make an attempt on his life, Jiuniang walked into the restaurant to get some water.

For her benefit, Gingerbread decided to wait until the morning.

Once Jiuniang went back, Gingerbread crossed her arms.

“Hey, carrot ass. I'm gonna make this simple for you. You've got two choices: natural or selection?”

“...Can I get organic?” Glancing in the direction of where Jiuniang had gone, Sweet smiled and continued. “Amazake wine is organic.”

“Do not mention that ever again, or no one is going to save you, you celery stalk. Tell Jiuniang she can make wine and you are going to die within the hour.”

“I can't help what sort of procedures our old Attendant used, can I? If Jiuniang kept that Amazake attribute when she was purified, that doesn't hurt anyone~”

**Author's Note:**

> red velvet filmed ice cream cake mv in palmdale california and im shook because im like 80% sure ive been there. lotion lotion go go airplane


End file.
